21.3 Ranches, Ranchers and Cowboys

1. 21.3 Ranches, Ranchers and Cowboys

2. Ranching in South Texas • During the 1800s the cattle ranches that arose on the open range from Texas to Canada formed the Cattle Kingdom. • The King Ranch in south Texas was one of the most important cattle operations in the state.

3. Ranching in South Texas • Richard King and Gideon Lewis established the ranch in Nueces county in the early 1850s. • King died in 1885, leaving his wife to run the ranch. • Henrietta King and her son in law Robert Kleberg, built the King Ranch into a thriving operation. Henrietta King

4. Ranching in South Texas • By 1925 it included more than 1 million acres of land. • King used her wealth to develop south Texas. • She gave land for the towns of Kingsville and Raymondville, and she donated land and money for churches and schools. • King also helped establish Texas A&M - Kingsville.

5. Ranching in South Texas • Other large ranches developed in South Texas, where the climate was well suited to cattle ranching. • Manuel Guerra owned a large ranch in Starr County. • Another successful South Texas rancher, Margaret Borland, owned more than 10,000 cattle by 1873. • That same year, she led a trail drive to Kansas. She is believed to be the only woman to head up a trail drive. She took 3 of her children- all under aged 15- and her granddaughter on the drive.

6. Ranches in the Panhandle • By the early 1880s cattle ranching was thriving and profitable industry in many parts of Texas • As Plains Indians were removed from West Texas, the Panhandle was opened up for ranching. • The grass that covered the Plains provided plenty of food for the cattle.

7. Ranches in the Panhandle • In addition, the region’s flat open land was well suited for cattle ranching because it allowed ranchers to keep close watch on the livestock. • Although there were not enough rivers to water the cattle, the Ogallala Aquifer lay underneath the region.

8. Ranches in the Panhandle • Ranchers adapted to the environment by using windmills to reach this huge supply of water. • Windmills operate on a simple principle: The wind blows against the vane that turns the blades into the breeze. The wind then hits the blades, creating power to operate the pump. This power brings the underground water to the surface.

9. Ranches in the Panhandle • In the mid-1870s Charles Goodnight and John Adair established one of the first ranches in the Panhandle – The JA Ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon. • The canyon had a good supply of grass and offered shelter from the harsh winds that swept across the region.

10. Ranches in the Panhandle • The JA Ranch became large and successful. • By the mid-1880s it covered more than 700,000 acres and supported about 40,000 cattle. • Other pioneers also established ranches in the Panhandle. • Thomas Sherman Bugbee built the Quarter Circle T Ranch in Hutchinson County. • Another large ranch, the Matador, was founded in 1878,

11. Ranches in the Panhandle • Corporations often funded by investors from the northern U.S. And from Great Britain, moved into the Panhandle along with the ranchers. • The XIT Ranch was established in 1885 when the state gave land to the Capitol Freehold Land and Investment Company. This company was funded by investors from Chicago and Britain. • In return, the investors agreed to construct a new capitol building to replace the one that had burned in 1881. • The new capitol was completed in 1888 and is still the seat of Texas government. XIT Ranch circa 1881

12. Ranches in the Panhandle • Over time the XIT Ranch became one of the largest and most famous ranches in Texas. • The XIT covered nearly 200 miles along the Texas – New Mexico border – an area almost the size of Connecticut. • At its peak, the XIT employed about 150 cowboys to care for roughly 150,000 cattle.

13. Ranchers and Cowboys • Most Texas ranches were located far from towns. • Ranchers had to rely on their own resources to solve many challenges they faced. • Mary Jaques outlined skills needed by ranchers “The ideal ranchman must be a butcher, baker, carpenter,…blacksmith, plain cook, milker”

14. Ranchers and Cowboys • Female ranchers handled many tasks. • In addition to herding and branding livestock, they raised children and operated households.

15. Ranchers and Cowboys • Ranchers could have never succeeded without cowboys, who did countless daily tasks on the ranches. • Most cowboys were young men, and many were Mexican American or African American. • Although they sometimes faced discrimination, some African American cowboys went on to own their own ranches and farms.

16. Ranchers and Cowboys • Bose Ikard supervised trail drives and directed some of the operations at Charles Goodnight’s ranch. • He eventually bought land in Parker County. Bose Ikard

17. Ranchers and Cowboys • Texas cowboys wore clothes and used tools that were suited to the state’s environment. • Some cowboys wore the familiar cowboy hat, while others wore the vaqueros’ broad felt hat. • Many cowboys wore sombreros to protect themselves from the harsh sunlight and rain.

18. Ranchers and Cowboys • Cowboys relied on leather chaps worn over their pants to protect them from thorny brushes. • All cowboys used a long light rope called a lariat…from the Spanish word la reata. • Some cowboys called their ropes lasso. (from the Spanish word lazo)

19. Cowboy Culture • Over time, cowboys became an important part of American popular culture. • Inexpensive novels featured countless cowboy heroes such as Arizona Joe, Denver Dan and Fancy Frank. • The novels glorified cowboy life.

20. Cowboy Culture • Wild West shows were also popular, using colorful posters to attract large crowds. • Some people believed that western novels and shows accurately portrayed cowboy life. • According to the myths, cowboys were fearless, happy and worry free. • They spent their days roaming through rugged but gorgeous landscapes.

21. Cowboy Culture • The realities of cowboy life was far different from the myths. • Cowboys faced many dangers including blizzards, floods and stampedes. • These hazards injured and killed many cowboys. • Cowboys also worked hard for hours on end. • During trail drives, some cowboys rode for 24 hours at a stretch and slept in their saddles.

22. Cowboy Culture • For their work most cowboys earned low salaries of about $300 per year. • Cowboy Charles Siringo worked for the Rancho Grande Company for two years without receiving a regular paycheck. • After subtracting purchases at the ranch store, he earned just 75 cents for two years. • Some like Siringo, found it very hard to make ends meet after buying what they needed for work. Charles Siringo